


Married with Children: A Future Sory Collection

by jlbassmaster (Airwing)



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Gay Parents, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 05:32:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airwing/pseuds/jlbassmaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little series of ficlets based on the original Future Sory fics from my tumblr Sory Week submissions. Sam and Rory are grown and have two kids, Damian and Chord. See what happens at random points in their lives!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Damian's Fourth Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> _Author's Notes: Okay, this started out as part of the tumblr Sory Week, but I enjoyed writing Future Sory so much, I wrote a second one. And now another, so I decided to put these into their own little story. It's just little random ficlets taking place in the same universe, just each a self contained story. If you read the last 2 chapters of my tumblr Sory Week submissions, then you have already read the first two chapters and can go on to the third. Oh, and yes, I broke major canon (duh) and just wait until you see the baby's names :p Only because it's being silly did I do that, otherwise I do not usually use original actors in any fashion in my fics._

Sam Evans and Rory Flanagan met in high school when Sam was eighteen, a graduating senior, and Rory was only a fifteen year old foreign exchange student. They formed a fast friendship that quickly turned into something more – something much, much more.

That was in 2012. In 2015, Sam, then twenty-one, got down on one knee and proposed to the nineteen year old college sophomore. It was the year 2020 when the happy couple finally had two children join their small family.

Wanting to preserve their genes as much as possible, the two men used a pair of surrogates, the advancements in technology allowing them to find carriers with as close of genes as the fathers. Sam impregnated one with Rory's genetic makeup, and Rory with Sam's genetics

Their first child, a boy, turned out to look just like Sam, except with dark brown hair. His green eyes matched Sam's, and of course his Trouty lips. They named the baby Chord. Why? Because when Rory was learning guitar, Sam would reward him with kisses for every chord he played.

Their second child was born two years later, and looked just like Rory, but with blonde hair. He retained Rory's 'dancing eyebrows' and sweet smile. They named this baby boy Damian.

Damian and Chord got alone like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say. When Damian was born, Chord was at his side constantly, helping his dads any way he could. They had no fear about letting the boys play together with only mild supervision – little Chord was as protective over Damian as Sam was of Rory.

Today was Damian's fourth birthday. Blaine and his husband, Kurt, brought their two little boys, Chris and Darren, and Brittany brought over her daughter, Heather. Santana was at home on bed rest, their second child on the way.

Chord's duty was to keep Damian occupied while his dads decorated and got ready for the party. Rory was baking the chocolate cake with red icing, shaped like a cowboy hat. Damian had a love for the ancient heroes known as cowboys, always trying to defend their dog, Schue, from his big bad brother.

Sam was in the dining room, putting up decorations and stacking presents on the table. Brittany, Blaine and Kurt were setting out food and snacks, their kids playing cowboys and robots with Damian and Chord, little Heather playing the damsel in distress.

Around noon, the guests started to arrive. Sam's parents and younger siblings, now seventeen and fifteen themselves. He remembered a time when they were just little kids, always hanging on to him and listening to him play the guitar. Now, Stacy had a boyfriend of two years and planning to go to UCLA, and Stevie was on the football team and dating a different girl every other week.

Rory's little brother Seamus arrived, having moved to America when he was eighteen, now living in Chicago with his girlfriend and boyfriend. It was no surprise when Seamus revealed he enjoyed the company of men, but it came as a bigger surprise when he revealed he was in a serious three way relationship. His boyfriend had an important presentation he was working on and couldn't get away for the weekend, but his girlfriend was there with him.

A couple of Sam and Rory's friends that weren't part of glee club were there, as were a couple of Chord's playmates, who also played with Damian at the playground. A whole room full of children with parents just as wild as they were.

Sam called Chord into the kitchen, telling him to round up the other kids and bring them to the dining room. It took him a good five minutes to get them to relocate their game of cowboys and robots, but when they arrived in the dining room, their game was quickly forgotten.

"Wow!" Damian exclaimed, looking around at the decorations and stack of presents on the table. "Looky Chordy! Looky!" he cooed, hopping up and down excitedly. He was just like Rory when he got excited.

"All those are for you, Damian!" Chord said, grinning. He helped his little brother climb up into a chair. Rory stuck a cowboy hat on his head and announced that it was his fourth birthday.

"Let's eat first," Sam suggested. He was starved. Neither his friends nor his husband would allow him to preview any of the food and his stomach was growling.

Rory fixed a plate for the birthday boy, filling him up with a hot dog slathered in cheese, potato chips, and some fruit salad. He always insisted the boys have something healthy with their meals, and fortunately, both of them enjoyed fruit. Damian clapped with joy as he picked up his hot dog and began to chomp down it.

Sam gave Chord his own plate, while the others all fended for themselves and their kids. Sitting around the table, chattering away, it made them all feel younger again. Granted, late twenties wasn't old, but when time passes so fast, it can seem that way.

Once everyone was finished chowing down on their food, it was time to open presents. Damian stood up on his chair, reaching for the largest one first.

"Why don't you open that one last?" Sam suggested, knowing that if Damian opened that one first, he wouldn't want anything to do with the rest. Sam handed him a smaller present, which he quickly unwrapped.

"Oh wow! Dinosaurs!" Damian cried, pronouncing it like "Dee-nose-oars". It was a pair of plastic dinosaurs that roared when their sides were squeezed. "Thank you Uncle Kurt! Thank you Uncle Blaine!"

Next, the boy was presented with a slightly smaller box. Inside that one was a game for his Wii 3000. It was a dancing game that used motion detection to play. That was from Brittany, who offered to show him how to use it, but somehow Rory and Sam both thought that might not be the best idea, since Brittany's idea of dancing was a little too provocative for a four year old.

Seamus had brought him a new winter coat, which was more exciting for his dads than for Damian. One by one the rest of his gifts were opened – movies, toys, a few clothes. All that was left was the big box from Sam and Rory.

"Can I open that one now daddy?" Damian asked, Sam and Rory smiling at one another in agreement.

"Sure. I think it's time you got to open it," Sam said, pushing the box toward the small boy. The two men were beaming at each other as they watched their littlest boy struggle to unwrap his gift.

"Help me, Chordy!" Damian begged of his brother. Chord looked up at Sam as if asking for permission. The man nodded, and the boy smiled and obliged his brother. Together, the two boys managed to tear off the wrapping and reveal the box.

Damian and Chord's eyes both went wide with surprise. They hadn't expected this. It was a gift for the two of them, really. It was the modernized version of a small go kart. Back in the day, go karts were loud, required gas, smelled up everything with smoke, and were all around considered dangerous. Times had changed, and they were battery powered, relatively quiet, made no smoke, and were all around much better toys for small kids. They could even be used indoors if properly supervised.

"That's actually for both you," Rory clarified to the boys. "Wanna open it up?"

The boys needn't be asked twice. They begged their dads to put it together for them. Between Rory, Sam, Blaine, and Seamus, they managed to put the small vehicle together in a half hour. They took it into the backyard and Damian and Chord rode around all over the place, the other kids chasing after them trying to catch them.

"You realize you will never get them away from that long enough for cake, right?" Sam asked his husband. Rory smiled at him.

"Oh yes I will. That battery is only a quarter charged. It'll last another twenty minutes at best, and then they have no choice but to come inside and rest while it charges up," Rory said smugly.

Sam gave him a quick kiss. "That's my guy, always on top of things."

Sure enough twenty minutes later, the battery ran out and needed to be recharged. The kids piled back into the dining room, where Rory brought out the cake. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to him and then waited eagerly for their pieces of the delicious cake.

Sam and Rory stood back, watching their kids enjoying their cake and their friends and their toys. "I don't think we could have done any better," Sam said, pulling Rory close and kissing him on the top of his head.

"Me either. Perfection achieved?" the younger man asked.

"Perfection achieved," Sam verified. The two men stood watching, waiting for the moment when it would hit them that their youngest boy had just turned four, and would be starting kindergarten next year.


	2. Chord's First Day of First Grade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Our little futureboys are growing up so soon! *tear*_

It was September 4th, Chord's first day of first grade. His dads and Damian were going to drive him to school the first week and then allow him to start taking the bus the following week. Chord was excited to see the friends he had made in Kindergarten, but Damian was disappointed that his big brother was going to be gone all day long.

"Daddy, why can't I go with Chordy?" Damian sniffled as Sam put him in the back seat, fastening his seat belt on the booster seat.

"Because he's starting big boy school today and big boys have to go on their own. You can see him when we come to pick him up this afternoon," Sam said, smiling at his son. He used a tissue to wipe his nose and tossed it in the tiny trashcan they kept in the SUV.

"I don't want him to go!" Damian argued, sticking out his bottom lip. "I won't have anybody to play with all day!"

Rory poked his head back from the front seat. "Yes you will! I'm gonna be home with you all day. I'll play with you."

Damian's eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face. "Okay, daddy!" Sam and Rory exchanged smiles. Chord plopped himself next to Damian and buckled his seat belt.

"Don't be sad Damian. I'll be back!" Chord said, tickling his little brother's tummy. The little blonde boy giggled at his brother. "See! All happy!"

"My god, Sam, that boy is exactly like you," Rory said, sneaking his hand over to his husband's. He backed out of the driveway and onto the road. School was about ten minutes away.

The night before, Rory had gone through Chord's backpack and made sure he had everything he would need. A notebook, pencils, crayons, markers, a folder, ruler, and a few other miscellaneous things. That morning, he had packed him a lunch – a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana, and some chips. He gave him money to get a carton of milk in the cafeteria.

Both fathers had taken their son the previous week to meet his teacher. She was young, about twenty-five, had only been teaching for two years, but she had a lot of enthusiasm and passion, and she was fascinated by the two dads. Chord looked around the room to explore the amenities, Damian secure in Sam's arms.

Rory pulled into the parking lot and secured the car. The two dads got out and opened the doors, unbuckling the kids. "Come on, boys, showtime," Sam said cheerfully. He held out his hand to Chord, but the brunette looked at him with wide, eyes, silently begging him to let him just walk besides him, hands free.

"I guess big boys can't hold daddy's hand anymore, huh?" Sam said, poking out his bottom lip dramatically. Chord grinned and shook his head. "Shunned by a six year old," he added, speaking to Rory.

Damian stood between his two dads and took both of their hands in an effort to make Sam feel better. The boy was always trying to keep the peace and make everyone happy. Just like his fathers. The two boys walked with their dads inside the school, Chord trying to look brave in front of his brother. He was actually scared out of his wits. Kindergarten was easy – half days, naps, snacks, and mostly learning easy stuff like ABCs and counting 1-20. First grade was going to be harder – learning to write more than just his name, count to 100, and even start to learn about other things, like dinosaurs and cowboys and robots.

"Look, he's nervous but trying not to show it," Sam whispered to his husband.

"He would never let his baby brother see him scared of anything. He's gotta look fearless. Sounds like someone else I know," Rory teased back.

They escorted Chord to the door of his classroom and then held back, letting him walk in by himself. Sam waved at the teacher, who ushered him inside. Rory stayed outside with Damian.

"Mr. Flanevans, I forgot to give this to you the other day. It's Chord's folder. It has spaces for you to put in his tests and other achievements so you can keep a record of all his good grades and projects," the teacher said, smiling. She handed the folder to Sam, who quickly skimmed through it, looking at the multitude of pages to be filled in. "Please, share this with your husband and try to keep up with it. You'll be glad you did in twelve years."

"Thanks. Rory'll get a real kick out of this. He loves anything even remotely artistic," Sam told her. She smiled and bade him a good afternoon, and reminded him that class ended at two. Sam waved one more time at Chord and went back into the hallway.

As expected, Damian had his face buried in his father's shoulder, crying. They went ahead and left the school, going to the car – out of sight, out of mind. Rory sat Damian in his booster seat and tickled his tummy.

"Come on, be a big boy. Chord wouldn't want you to cry now," Rory said softly. His tickling was eliciting giggles from the small boy, the only evidence left of his crying was a red face and sniffling.

"I better get to the office, babe," Sam said, noting the time. "You gonna be okay with Damian all day?"

Rory smiled. "Of course. We're gonna go have lunch, and then to the park so he can play on the playground, and then take a nap and watch some cartoons until it's time to pick up Chord."

"No nap!" Damian squealed, frowning. "No nap!"

Sam looked at Rory, who often forgot not to say the 'n' word around a four year old. Sam smoothed it over by asking Damian where they were going to go for lunch later.

"I want…." The boy put his finger on his chin, trying to think. "Hot Dog King!"

"How did I know?" Sam grinned. He turned his attention to his son again. "Okay, well you make sure to make your daddy pay, okay? You gotta save all your money to pay for college."

"Sam, don't tell him that, you know he has a trust fund. His allowance is his to spend," Rory thwacked his husband in the arm. "We'll go to the toy store after we drop daddy off at home so he can go to work, okay? Then we can get lunch."

Damian squealed in delight, clapping his hands and cheering.

"See, all smiles," Rory winked at his husband. He finished buckling the boy in and got in the car. Ten minutes later, they dropped Sam off at home so he could get his own car and drive to work.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the toy store. They spent almost a half hour inside, Damian running from aisle to aisle looking for the perfect toy. He picked out the latest dinosaur in his growing collection, and then begged Rory to let him pick something out for Chord.

Rory smiled at his son. Damian was so much like Sam, always looking out for others. Chord was protective and brave, while Damian was considerate and selfless. But, like Rory, Chord was skilled in soccer (Rory finally got used to calling it that, after years of calling it football) and art, and Damian loved singing and cowboys. Altogether, the four of them were so much alike it was baffling.

After another ten minutes, Damian had picked out a robot figure for Chord. Rory paid for the toys and they went home for a little bit so Damian could play with his new toy. Around noon, Rory took him to Hot Dog King for lunch, watching the little boy stuff his face with a cheese covered hot dog, ending up with more cheese on his face than in his mouth.

Rory then took him to the playground and watched him climb on the monkey bars and jungle gym, then pushed him on the swing and played on the seesaw with him. Rory noted the time and wanted to get a quick nap in before they needed to pick up his other son.

Damian hated naps. He was always full of energy and wanted to play all day long. Fortunately, Damian remembered that he had just gotten a new toy, and actually cooperated for his nap. At least he knew how to be grateful.

When the little boy woke up, he ran into the living room and jumped into his daddy's arms. They watched cartoons until ten till two, and then left to go pick up Chord.

Damian was thrilled that his big brother was rejoining them. He clung to Rory's hand with an iron grip, pulling him forward toward the classroom. Rory picked him up before they went in, wanting to keep his energy under control. His son was getting heavy, he didn't have the strength of his husband to carry him all the time.

"Chord was very well behaved today, Mr. Flanevans. I think he's going to really like being here," the teacher cooed. She then turned her attention to Damian. "I bet you're just like your brother. Maybe you'll be in my class in a couple of years."

Damian smiled shyly and turned his head into Rory's shoulder.

"He's a little shy at first. But trust me, once he knows you, he's wide open," Rory laughed. The teacher handed him a couple of sheets of paper – a syllabus and list of lunch choices should Chord not pack a lunch. Rory thanked her and then called his son over to go home.

Chord was excited as could be to tell his dad everything they did on his first day. He relayed every event to them with dramatic hand gestures and everything. When they got home, Damian proudly presented him with his robot.

"Wow, thanks! This is awesome!" Chord exclaimed, opening the package. Damian beamed with accomplishment. They hugged as they often did, and then ran off to play with their new toys.

When Sam came home, Rory was busy making dinner. He kissed his husband on the cheek and went to change into casual clothes. By the time he was changed, Rory had finished the meal and set it on the table, then called the kids to come in.

"Okay, wash your hands, then sit down," Rory instructed. He had made baked chicken with corn and mashed potatoes, with a slice of bread on the side. For dessert, they had jello.

"So, Chord, how was your first day?" Sam asked. Chord immediately launched into his animated explanation of every detail, from the time they dropped him off, to recess, lunch, and then when Rory picked him up. Rory gave him 'the look' several times that reminded him to chew with his mouth closed, no matter how excited he was.

Sam grinned, amused by Rory's admonishments and Chord's excitement. "Sounds like an exciting day for both of you!" he said. "If you two are good all week, I think Friday night we should go for ice cream!"

"ICE CREAM!" both kids cried at the same time, bouncing in their seats. Rory knew that treat was as much for Sam as it was for the children. It truly was a treat, too, since Rory didn't allow an abundance of junk food in the house. Most of the time, dessert consisted of jello, yogurt, fruit, or if they were lucky, a small slice of sweet bread.

After dinner, the family watched cartoons until eight, then it was time for the boys to go to bed. By then they were worn out anyway, their energy having dissipated from the events of the exciting day.

Sam and Rory collapsed on the couch, snuggling up with each other. "Those kids are so good. I think we did a real good job," Sam said, kissing Rory's head. The younger man looked up and smiled.

"Yeah, we did. They're just like us, but with way more energy," Rory agreed.

"Oh come on, I know you always have a little extra energy for me," Sam teased. He tickled Rory's tummy the same way they did to Damian, getting him to giggle.

"Sammy, stop," he replied playfully. "Not tonight," he added. "Tonight I just want to snuggle with you. It's been a few days."

"Yeah, it has. Snuggling it is. Should I put on the movie?"

Rory grinned. "Yeah, put in Avatar: Part 3 again. I wonder if those kids are going to get as hooked on it as you are."

"They will if I have any say in it," Sam smiled. "Come on, snuggle time."

They walked hand in hand to their bedroom, slipping under the covers and cuddling while one of their favorite movies played until they finally fell asleep.


	3. A Day at the Beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Once I decided to write a part 3, it was time to make this it's own little series. Yes, I am aware that the probability of a beach in Lima, Ohio is pretty slim, but it's Glee, it's in the future, and I felt like it. :p Enjoy!_

Chord and Damian ran around the house in circles, excitedly chanting "We're going to the beach! Yaaaay!" over and over again. Rory was packing their cooler while Sam was loading up their beach gear into the back of the SUV.

The two husbands had decided to take a trip to the beach to celebrate the end of the summer before it got too cold to go outside. September was still hot out, almost like it was the middle of July, so they quickly took advantage of the heat. It had been a busy summer, so they didn't get to go as much as they had originally wanted to.

"Got everything packed away in the truck?" Rory asked, adding the cooler to the back of the trunk.

"Everything but the kids. I thought maybe we could tie them to the hood, like deer, just to get them to sit still long enough to get there," Sam replied, laughing. Rory rolled his eyes.

"Okay you two, you hear that? If you don't stay still on the drive, daddy's gonna tie you to the hood and put antlers on you," Rory teased. While Chord thought the idea actually sounded fun, Damian hid behind his older brother in fear.

"No! I don't want antlers!" the little blonde boy squealed. "Chordy, what's antlers?"

Chord shrugged. "I dunno, I think they're those pointy things on a deer," he answered, putting his hands next to his head and making antlers with his fingers. He bent over and pretended to poke at his older father, making strange noises.

Sam picked the boy up and carried him toward the front of the truck, asking Rory to get the rope. Chord decided that maybe being a deer wasn't such a good idea and wiggled his way out of his father's arms. As soon as he set foot back on the ground, he darted for the open car door and dove into the back seat.

Damian was giggling like mad, even as Rory had picked him up and placed him in his booster seat. The small family finally packed up and ready, Sam drove them to the beach about fifteen minutes away.

The beach wasn't very crowded despite the unusually hot September weather. That meant they could relax a little easier, a less crowded beach meaning it was easier to keep an eye on the boys.

"Okay boys, before we even get out of the car, rule number one is always stay within our sight, and stay together. No going in the water without one of us going with you," Rory instructed.

Sam poked him in the side and whispered. "That's several rules, babe." Rory cut him a glare and smacked his arm, the bigger man pulling back in surprise. "Such violence. Damn that rap music."

"Sam, don't swear in front of the kids," Rory reprimanded. Seeing their fathers teasing each other always sent both children into peals of laughter.

"Sorry," Sam giggled, getting out of the truck and opening the trunk. Between the four of them they managed to take their beach bag, towels, umbrella, chairs, and cooler all in one trip. They found a nice spot in the middle and set up camp. Sam and Rory had brought two chairs for themselves, setting them up under the umbrella with the cooler and beach bag.

Rory dug around in the bag and found the two squeeze bottles of sunscreen. There was the stronger one for himself and Damian, who always seemed to burn so easy, and then a weaker one for Sam and Chord who were always out in the sun to begin with.

"Shirts, everybody," Sam said, collecting all four of their shirts and stuffing them in the bag. He never folded anything up, just stuffed it places and it annoyed Rory to no end. After quickly fixing Sam's mess, they started putting lotion on each other. As usual, Damian squealed in protest at the feeling of cool cream on his little body.

Rory sat back in his chair, pulling out his Kindle to read a book while Sam turned the kids loose on the sand. They had brought along a bag of sand toys - a frisbee, shovels, buckets, a beachball, and two life jackets for the boys.

The kids immediately ran for the edge of the water, hopping up and down in the surf. They were allowed to play in the surf but no further without one of their dads present, and with their life jackets on.

"I swear, those two are a handful," Sam said, leaning back in his chair and smiling. He dug into their beachbag to pull out their camera and started taking a few pictures.

A half hour later, the boys scurried up the beach, begging their dads to take them into the water. They had it down to an art - if pure begging didn't work, they would break out the sad-puppy-dog looks and then it was all over. Fortunately they didn't have to resort to those desperate measures.

The two men helped their rambunctious children with their life jackets and then led them to the water. The rule was that neither boy was allowed to go any deeper than he could stand up in, and if the waves started getting rough, they had to go back.

Damian danced around happily in the water that barely reached past his knees. He had a method to his adventure - he would splash about in the shallow area for a few minutes and then one of his dads would coax him out until he got about waist deep and after a few minutes there, he'd go a little further and pull up his feet and float with his jacket. He never liked to go any deeper than his chest, unlike Chord who always tried to push it to the limit.

Chord dashed right in, wasting no time in getting to the deepest he was allowed. He started floating about and splashing, closing his eyes everytime a small wave smacked into him. He and Sam would play a little game - Sam would dash forward while Chord pretended he was a shark, paddling after him until he could grasp his waist and 'chomp, chomp'. It was a great game except for the one time Chord grabbed onto Sam's trunks and an ill-timed wave had the boy acidentally yanking down his dad's trunks and mooning him.

They spent about twenty minutes playing around in the water before Rory decided it was time for a break from the sun, and a good time to eat their lunch.

"You're such a stickler for the rules, babe," Sam teased as they waded into shore.

"Heat stroke and sunburn do not make for happy kids. Or a happy me," Rory pointed out. "Besides, someone has to be the adult, you big kid," he added, sticking out his tongue.

Back at their base, the children sat on their towels, waiting for their lunch. Rory had packed ham and cheese sandwiches, potato chips, fruit, and juice boxes. No soda - it dehydrates the body, and no sweets - to much sugar makes the kids feel sick if they're in the sun too long.

Damian and Chord discussed their plans for a massive sand castle as they ate, Chord using his arms to demonstrate the size he wanted to make it. Damian's eyes widened in awe at his brother's plans for a sand fortress.

Sam finished eating first, pulling out the camera again and snapping pictures, the kids making funny faces at him.

Finishing their lunch, Damian and Chord took off for the sand again, starting their sand castle. Chord retrieved buckets of water while Damian started digging with his shovel, packing the sand into clumps that would soon be towers.

The two children worked on their sand castle for almost an hour, using their shovels to shape the sides and dig a moat. The water was coming up closer, filling their moat. While they were constructing, Sam had gone up and down the beach, collecting seashells and seaweed.

"Here you go, guys. Some shells to decorate it, and some seaweed for plants. You know your dad would want some plants, right?" Sam asked, setting down the bucket of shells and seaweed.

The more artistic of the two, Damian set to putting shells strategically over the castle, making sure it looked perfect. Chord filled up the moat again and then dragged his other father from under the shade to inspect.

"Wow, that's really cool!" Rory exclaimed, checking everything out. "A moat, a tower..."

"Look at the seashells! Daddy got those for us! Aren't they neat?" Chord exclaimed, pointing at them.

"Yeah, real cool looking. See that one, it's called a sand dollar. They're not easy to find. You should take it with you when we go home. They're special," Rory informed them, pointing to the smoother, round shell with a star shaped design on it.

Both boys exchanged looks of awe at the unique shell. Sam was silently wishing he had found two, because he could already hear the impending arguement of who got to keep the shell.

"Oh, what's this here?" Rory asked, pointing at a rectangular area with seaweed and tiny shells on it.

"It's a garden! A shell garden! You can plant your sand dollars and grow them for everybody," Damian explained happily, the latter part popping into his mind at the last second.

"This is really amazing. We have to get pictures so we can show everyone. Sam, grab the camera," Rory said, smiling.

Obedient as ever, Sam darted up to the camp and grabbed the camera, snapping pictures of the sandcastle, and the children posing in front of it, and then Rory posing with them. They swapped up so they could get some of Sam with the kids, and then asked a beachwalker if they would take a couple pictures of all four of them. The woman happily agreed and snapped several shots of the family.

They played in the water again for another half hour or so and then the sun was starting to cloud over. It was time to go home.

The children dried off, wrapping their towels over themselves and chasing each other around the sand while Sam and Rory packed up their supplies. Before getting back in the truck, they had to make sure to get every bit of sand off of their feet. On the short ride home, the two boys fell asleep, exhausted from the day out.

Not wanting to wake the tired out children, Sam carried Chord, and Rory carried Damian and they look them inside and set them asleep on the couch, pillows under their heads.

"They'll wake up just in time for dinner, I bet you," Sam whispered.

"Most likely. Their noses catch the scent of food from a mile away. I thought we'd order out pizza tonight. I'm exhausted," Rory agreed happily.

The two men unpacked the truck and then called in the pizza order, and sure enough, as soon as Sam brought the box back inside, the smell wafted into their noses and the two boys were at the table, ready to eat.


	4. Chord's Thanksgiving Recital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: The idea for this just popped in my head on my way home for lunch. It was too cute to pass up doing while fresh in my head._

When Sam came home from work, his husband and children were already home from school, work, and errands. Rory was fixing dinner while Damian played in the living room floor, zooming his toy cars all around the legs of the table. Chord on the other hand, was waiting impatiently by the door, awaiting his other father.

The second Sam opened the door, he was attacked by a little brown haired boy just waist high, squealing in excitement and saying something he couldn't understand. "Whoa, whoa, let me in the door, buddy!" he said, slipping past his son and shutting the door behind them. He knelt down in the floor and put his hands on Chord's shoulders. "What's going on?"

"I get to be in the play! I get to be a big bird!" the boy squealed. Sam looked up at Rory and mouthed 'What play?'

"Tell your dad all about it, honey. It's a musical, right?" Rory urged so that Sam would be in the loop.

Sam walked inside, Chord hot on his heels. He plopped down on the couch with a tired sigh and then a grunt as the excited boy jumped into his lap.

"I get to be in the play at school! I get to sing just like you and daddy!"

Sam smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "That's awesome. What's the play about?"

"Thanksgiving! I get to play the bird and sing and dance on the table with all the indy ants and pill grams." Sam looked confused at first, then realized what his son meant.

"Indians and Pilgrims, son," He corrected with a chuckle. Chord repeated the words back to him properly. That was the custom with their children anytime they mispronounced a word, Sam or Rory would say it the right way and their sons would repeat it. Rory insisted it helped them retain the information, and seeing as how he knew two languages fluently, Sam took his word for it.

Rory smiled at the excited child, bouncing in his father's lap. "He needs a costume, Sam. I'm going to the party shop tomorrow to find him one of a big bird," he said. Chord cheered as it was news to him as well. "After I drop you off at school, I'll pick it up and you can try it on when we get home."

"Yayyyy!" Chord cried out. "Damian! Did you hear that?" Damian was paying no attention whatsoever, much more concerned with his toy cars.

"Huh?" the smaller boy asked, noticing someone was talking to him. He smiled up at his brother and father. "Daddy, I'm hungry," he said. All three of them laughed as the boy poked out his bottom lip in a pout.

"Come on, buddy, let's get ready for dinner," Sam said, urging Chord back onto his own feet, and then reaching down to pick up Damian. "Oof! You're getting almost too heavy to keep picking up!"

"No!" Damian squealed, throwing his arms around his father's neck. Sam giggled. Damian was so much like Rory. When they had been first dating, Rory was always clinging to Sam in hugs and hand holds, always staying in physical contact. Now, their youngest son seemed to be the same way – feeling comfort in the arms of Sam.

The boys plopped down in their seats as Rory fixed their plates. Rory smacked the back of Sam's hand as he reached for the fried chicken. "Okay, okay," Sam replied, blushing. There would be no eating until they were all seated, and the prayer was said.

-ooo-

The next day, Rory dropped Chord off at school and Damian at the baby sitter's then headed to the party store to search for a costume. It didn't take as long as he expected – apparently large birds were popular. He picked out a costume for a large yellow bird with lots of small feathers and a big beak. Perfect!

"Wait until your dad gets home and you can model your costume for us," Rory told Chord when he picked him up from school.

Sam came home to find Damian playing in the floor and Chord watching the TV. Rory was once again in the kitchen cooking dinner. Sam came up behind his husband and gave him a kiss.

"Ewww! Kissies!" Chord teased, scrunching up his face. His fathers laughed, Damian giggling in the floor. "Can I go put on my bird suit now?"

"Yeah, honey, go put on your bird suit," Rory replied happily.

"What did you get him?" Sam asked quietly.

"You'll see. It's adorable," his husband replied, going back to covering beef patties with spices.

They heard Chord's bedroom door shut, but didn't hear the excitement they expected. Chord trudged into the room, wearing his large yellow bird costume, beak and all.

"Isn't it cute?" Rory asked, beaming with pride. "I think it's absolutely adorable!"

Then came the sniffles. Chord was upset and trying not to cry in front of his brother, who was sitting in awe at the large yellow bird who just entered his play space.

Sam was struggling to hide his laughter, having to actually turn away before Chord saw him grinning.

"Aww, honey, what's wrong? Don't you like your bird costume?" Rory asked, wiping his hands on a towel and then kneeling down in front of his fretting son.

Chord finally lost it and started to cry, then ran past Rory and latched himself onto Sam's leg. Rory turned around and looked up at Sam, confused. "What did I do?"

"Uhm, what did the package say?" Sam asked, swallowing back another laugh. Rory trotted off to Chord's room a moment and brought back the plastic container the suit had been in.

"See, right here. It says 'big bird with beak and feathers'," Rory pointed out.

Sam had to pretend to cough violently to keep his son from realizing he was laughing so hard. Rory almost looked hurt. "What's wrong with it?"

"That's a Big Bird costume, babe. From Sesame Street. See the logo?"

Rory scrunched up his face. "I thought it was the brand name. It said big bird. I thought he said he was going to be a big bird."

"No, no, no, babe. A big bird, not the Big Bird. He meant a turkey. You know, a big bird," Sam explained.

Rory turned fifty shades of red in embarrassment. He knelt down and hugged his crying son. "I'm so sorry honey! I didn't know you meant a turkey! I'm so sorry!"

Chord was still sniffling but had finally stopped sobbing outright. The frown on his face was heartbreaking.

"Don't worry, Chord, your daddy will fix it and make it look great, okay?" Sam offered. "Your play is Friday. It's only Wednesday so he has a whole day to work on it."

Chord smiled halfheartedly, still disappointed. He sulked off to his room to take off his Big Bird costume and came back to sit on the floor next to Damian, playing with his cars.

-ooo-

Rory called in to work to let them know he was sick, which he wasn't, but fixing Chord's costume was far more important than going to the office for the day. Rory was determined to fix his blunder no matter what.

To avoid being caught, he drove a half hour to the next town and visited the craft store, leaving with armfuls of fake feathers, felt, paint, glue, and numerous other supplies. He went home, cleared off the kitchen table, and set up shop. He looked over the bird costume, assessing what he had to work with. Getting proper inspiration from a picture of a turkey he found online, he set to making things right.

By the time Rory picked up Chord from school and Damian from the sitter. "I fixed your costume all up, honey. It looks like a turkey now, I promise!"

As soon as they got home, Rory urged the boy to go try on his new costume. A few minutes later, his son burst into the kitchen, making turkey noises and cheering. Rory had covered it in felt feathers, made a large fantail, and transformed the beak into a turkey's beak with paint and felt and some careful cutting. It looked wonderful.

When Sam came home, he found his sons running around the house, Chord clucking like a turkey, Damian chasing him with a toy bow and arrow. "I'm gonna get you Chordy! Daddy will fix you up for supper!"

"Whoa, slow down! Let me see," he instructed, barely catching a glimpse as the boys ran by.

"Chord! Show your dad your costume!" Rory called from the kitchen. He zoomed into the living room, paused, and clucked crazily. Damian wasn't far behind, shooting him with the rubber arrow.

"I got you Chordy! I got you! Daddy, I got supper!" Damian cried excitedly.

Sam smiled as he knelt down to examine the new suit. He touched the feathers (almost getting pecked in the process), and smiled some more as he looked at the fantail. He attempted to touch the beak but was pecked again.

"It looks wonderful!" Sam exclaimed. "You did a good job, babe. Looks like a real turkey!" Rory beamed happily.

"I think he might actually forgive me now, don't you think so?" Rory asked, as Sam gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I think he will, yeah. You did a great job. All that by yourself?"

Rory nodded. "Every bit. Now get them ready for dinner. I haven't been able to catch the turkey since he put it on."

Sam laughed and chased after his sons so they could get ready for dinner.

-ooo-

The next night, Sam, Rory, and Damian sat quietly in the audience of McKinley Elemenetary Auditorium, watching with great interest as the play was announced. There were several parts before Chord's big debut, but when he came on with the pilgrims and indians, he stood on the table, dancing and singing. The other children sang backup and danced around him, pretending they were inviting him to their thanksgiving dinner.

When his part was over, his family cheered and clapped then quieted down politely for the other students to finish up. At the end of the play, everyone came out to bow, the entire audience cheering the loudest at Chord Flanevans' turkey costume.

Later, as they were milling about the lobby, chatting with the other parents, one of the moms asked Chord where he got his wonderful costume.

"My daddy made it! He's one of the best daddy's in the whole world!" Chord exclaimed, throwing his feathery arms around Rory and grinning, finally feeling like he had made up for his mistake.


	5. A Tale of Two Daddies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Now we all know how cruel kids can be, especially when someone is a little different from them. We also know that it's not as common to have two dads, so maybe it's time little Chord and Damian had 'the talk' with their dads._

It was at recess that little Zizi Adams and her horde of bullies decided to corner Chord Flanevans and taunt him. Ever since the play, it had become noticed by some of the older kids that one of the first graders had not one, but two daddies, and no mommy. Little Zizi Adams had been taught that everyone was supposed to have a mommy and a daddy, and anything else was just wrong.

"My daddy says your daddies are homer seck sue alls!" the pigtailed girl laughed as she and her two friend cornered the brunette first grader. "He said being a homer seck sue all is something the devil does and they're bad! He said anyone with two daddies is just like a demon!"

"Shut up, Zizi! I'm not a demon, and there's nothing wrong with my daddies!" Chord spat back angrily. Zizi didn't like that, and shoved the boy backward into the wall.

"Don't tell me to shut up you little wimp!" she replied, smirking. Her two friends laughed along with her. They were two years older than Chord, and outnumbering him, they had the advantage. Sam had always told him that if he was being bullied, to try and run away, but if that wasn't an option, then he was allowed to defend himself.

Remembering his father's instructions, Chord bolted between the girls, attempting to run back to the rest of his classmates, but Zizi stuck out her foot, tripping him. Chord flew headfirst to the ground, scraping his elbow and hand as he kept himself from eating cement.

"Wimp!" Zizi yelled as she and her friends trotted off toward the swingset, all three of them laughing hysterically. Chord did he best to hold in his tears until they were too far to see. His friend Darren came running up to him, having seen what happened.

"Come on, Chordy, let's go tell the teacher! She can't do that!" Darren cried, helping his friend up off the ground. Chord shook his head, sniffling, not wanting to tell the teacher and be called a tattle-tail, but Darren would have none of it. He got behind the boy and put his hands in front of him, pushing him forward like an object that needed to be dragged along the ground.

When they arrived at the teacher, she dropped down to one knee to inspect her student, wanting to know what happened. Chord was going to simply say he tripped and fell, but Darren quickly interrupted with a full story of what he saw. "Zizi Adams tripped him for no reason at all!" Darren exclaimed.

The teacher frowned, then kindly asked Darren to go play with his classmates while she escorted the injured boy to the nurse's office. Chord wouldn't elaborate on exactly why Zizi was picking on him, so the teacher dropped it, opting to let one of his father's drag it out of him later.

-ooo-

"Good afternoon, Rory Flanevans, how can I help you?"

"Yes, Mr. Flanevans, this is Mrs. Murphy, Chord's teacher," the woman on the other end of the phone replied.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Murphy, is everything okay?" Rory asked, worried all of a sudden. Calls from school, especially in the middle of the day, were never good.

"Well, Chord had an accident today," Mrs. Murphy began. Rory started to wonder why Chord would pee himself until she explained it wasn't that kind of accident. "It seems Zizi Adams was picking on him, and when he tried to run away, she tripped him. He fell and scraped his elbow, knee, and hand. He's fine, the nurse patched him up, but it's policy to notify a parent."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rory thanked her for the heads up. "One other thing, Mr. Flanevans," she added. "Chord won't tell me what she was picking on him about. I thought perhaps you or your husband could talk to him."

"Yes, ma'am, of course. I'll come pick him up this afternoon instead of him riding the bus. Thanks again, Mrs. Murphy."

Rory hung up the phone, distressed. Zizi Adams was the daughter of one of his high school nemesis, Azimio Adams, and now it looked like Chord was about to have a nemesis of his own. And in first grade already!

-ooo-

Chord was quiet the entire way home, even though Damian kept trying to get him to cheer up. Damian updated him on the cartoons, asked him if he wanted to play race cars when they got home, and even begged him to play Irish football with him in the backyward, but Chord just shrugged, staring out the window.

"Damian, why don't you go watch your cartoons, okay? Chordy's gonna help me make a snack," Rory instructed. Damian clapped his hands and scuttled to the living room, plopping down in front of the TV and turning on Soccer Heroes, one of his favorite cartoons about talking soccer balls.

Rory sat down at the table, slicing apples, giving the slices to Chord to cover with light apple butter. "Now, son, are you going to tell me what Zizi was teasing you about? I promise I won't get mad at you."

Chord hung his head and started to sniffle. Rory waited patiently, slicing away, while Chord finally got the courage up to speak. "She said me and Damian are demons because you and daddy are homer seck sue alls. She said her daddy told her homer seck sue alls are bad." A tear started to roll down his cheek as he recounter the conversation.

Rory set down his knife and hugged his son. "It's okay, Chordy. She's just a mean little girl. Her daddy was mean to me back in school, too. You can't let her get to you. Just stay away from her and go to Mrs. Murphy if she gives you trouble."

Chord sniffled again, but Rory lifted his chin with his finger, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and handed him a piece of apple slathered in apple butter. The boy started to eat it, his dad poking him on the nose and smiling.

"Damian, come get your snack!" Rory called. The little boy bounded into the kitchen excitedly to claim his apples. As the two children were eating their healthy snack (because Sam insists that light apple butter is healthy), Sam came home. The family exchanged greetings, Sam inquiring about Chord's injuries.

"Okay boys, you two go play until dinnertime, okay?" Rory said, urging them out of the kitchen so he and Sam could talk privately. He told Sam all about the incident with Zizi Adams, and Chord's confession about what she was teasing him about.

-ooo-

After dinner, Sam asked the boys to sit up on the couch, while he and Rory sat in chairs across from them. It was a family meeting.

"Boys, it's time we explained a few things to you, okay? I know you're both little, but Chord has gotten to that age where other kids start being mean, so we need to talk to you about what Zizi was saying today," Sam announced.

"Do either of you know what a 'homer seck sue all' is?" Rory asked, keeping with the childish pronunciation. Both children shook their heads. "Well, it's pronounced ho-mo-sex-u-al. It's what you call a man who loves another man, or a woman who loves another woman."

"You mean like friends?" Chord asked, confused.

Sam smiled. "No, buddy, more than friends. Like the way me and your dad love each other, or Aunt Brittany and Aunt Santana love each other."

"And Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt?" Chord verified happily.

"Yes, like them, too," Sam replied.

"Damian?" Rory called, trying to snap the boy from his dazed look. "Pay attention, sweetie. This is important."

Damian scrunched up his face. "I'm listening," he exclaimed. "Daddies can love each other and so can mommies."

"That's right. And mommies can love daddies, too. And sometimes, like Uncle Seamus, a mommy or daddy can love both at the same time," Sam answered. "But you know what everyone has in common? It's all about love. It doesn't matter if the person you love is a boy or a girl, as long as you love them." Sam exchanged a look with Rory, hoping he wasn't getting too deep.

"Is that why Zizi was teasing you, Chordy? Because we have two daddies and she only has a daddy and a mommy?" Damian asked, frowning. Chord nodded his head. "Well that's stupid! She's just jealous we have two daddies and she only has one!"

Rory and Sam stifled a chuckle at their younger son's logic. "Don't say stupid, Damian," Rory said softly. "Even though you're right," he added under his breath.

"So daddy, what do I do if she teases me again?" Chord asked.

"Well, it's not nice to beat up girls, even if she deserves it, so just walk away. Don't run next time. If you walk, she can't trip you so easy," Rory answered.

"And you can tell her that she's just jealous because you have two daddies who love you and who don't teach children to hate," Sam added with a smile.

"And since kindness kills, when you walk away, tell her to have a nice day," Rory said. One of the worst things someone could to a bully was be nice.

Chord looked thoughtful, mulling the words over in his head. "So tell her she's jealous, not to hate, and have a nice day, right daddy?" he repeated, looking at Sam. The man nodded his head and smiled.

"I wanna beat her up!" Damian exclaimed out of nowhere. "She's mean!" Sam had to pretend to cough to hide his laughter. That was his original reaction as well - a reaction he had several times in regards to Santana even.

"No, Damian, we don't beat people up. We don't learn hate," Rory corrected him. Damian crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip. "Besides, only good boys get ice cream."

Both children's eyes lit up. "Ice cream?" they squealed at the same time.

"Yes, since you both listened and it's been a hard day, we're going out for ice cream. But Damian, remember that if you go around being mean and beating people up, you don't get ice cream, you get time out," Sam announced.

"Okay, daddy," Damian relented. After that, the small family headed out for the promised treat.

-ooo-

"Hey, wimp!" Zizi called across the playground. Chord was on the jungle gym, hanging my his feet when the girl approached him. Her friends were with her, attached at the hip.

"Leave me alone, Zizi," Chord warned.

"Or what? You're just a little wimp, like your homer seck sue all daddies! You're all a bunch of sick demons, justl ike my daddy says!" Zizi exclaimed harshly.

Chord dropped down from the jungle gym and stood in front of her, smiling.

"What are you grinning for, wimp?" the girl demanded.

"Zizi, you're just jealous because I have two daddies who love me and my little brother, and they don't teach us to hate people. So leave me alone," Chord stated confidently. He started to walk off before remembering the last part of Rory's instructions. He spun on his heel and looked at the girl.

"And have a nice day, Zizi," he said sweetly. He then walked away toward the swings, a triumphant smile pasted across his face, the girl and her friends confused and flabbergasted.

"What just happened?" Zizi asked her friends.

"I think you just got owned!" they heard Darren's voice call out, the boy laughing as he made his way to the swings to join his friend.


	6. Discovering Differences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: I think we all remember when we were young, finding out about the differences between boys and girls and where babies come from. Previously, Damian and Chord learned about the concept of homosexuality, maybe now it's time they learned the birds and the bees (and the birds & birds and bees & bees). This is not beta'd so please excuse any spelling and grammar errors. I tried to catch them best I could. :)  
> _

"It's been so nice having you guys over. It's been way too long," Sam said to Santana and Brittany. "We need to set up more play dates for the kids. They get along so well."

"A lot better than we did when we were in high school," Santana joked with a wink. "I gotta admit, Naya is already turning into a little firecracker. I won't even repeat what she said to Harry the other day for taking her Barbie."

All four adults had to laugh at that. Harry, Mike and Tina's son, was quite the mischievious little boy and was constantly picking with Naya and Heather. Admittedly it was about time one of the girls put him in his place, even if it wasn't the appropriate way for a little girl to be speaking.

"We better scoot, Santana. It's almost bedtime for those two," Brittany said. She then whispered in her wife's ear, "And I need some hot lady kisses." Santana grit her teeth and smiled. Brittany had thought she whispered, but in actuality she spoke just as loud as normal.

"I'll get the kids," Rory offered, stepping back toward the boys' bedroom. A minute later he returned, Damian in his arms, yawning while Chord chattered on with Naya and Heather.

"Say goodnight to Aunt Santana and Aunt Brittany," Sam told the boys. Both women took turns giving the boys kisses and hugs, the two men doing the same for the little girls.

The happy women said their goodbyes to the two men, then made their way to their car in the driveway, helping the girls get in. Naya was stomping her foot insisting she could climb in on her own while Heather beamed at the attention she was getting from Brittany as the grown woman buckled her into the seat.

"Okay boys, it's your bedtime, too," Rory said, more to Chord who was still wide awake; Damian was already half asleep in his arms.

"Do I have to?" Chord whined. "I'm not even tired yet! Aren't I old enough to stay up late?"

Sam and Rory exchanged looks, recalling the conversation they had had earlier in the month. Chord was indeed getting older, but he still needed to be in bed by eight. If he didn't get enough sleep he would be whiny in the morning.

"Come on, Ror, let him stay up just a little longer. It's Saturday," Sam whispered. "Eight thirty at least?"

"Fine," Rory agreed. "You can stay up until eight thirty tonight but only because it's a weekend. Tomorrow night you have to go back to bed at eight. Maybe next year you can stay up later during the week."

The little boy seemed satisfied with that answer, bouncing up and down excitedly. "You need to put on your pajamas though, so at eight thirty you can conk out in your bed," Rory added. The child zoomed past his fathers and into his bedroom, digging his favorite PJs out of his dresser drawer. He was already lost in his t-shirt when Rory came inside with Damian.

"Wait a second and I'll help you," Rory said with a chuckle. He laid Damian down on his bed, tugging off his jeans and pulling the covers up over him. Normally Rory would have made him change for bed, but the boy was already out and it would be simpler to just leave him be.

"Hey, the phone's for you," Sam said, stepping into the room. As soon as he saw Chord he burst into laughter, the little boy still tangled up in his shirt. "I'll help him. It's Blaine, so I know you're gonna be a while."

"Very funny," Rory replied, sticking out his tongue and walking past his husband.

"Daddy help meeeee!" Chord whined. Sam laughed again but approached the boy, putting his hand on the boy's head.

"Okay, hold still," Sam said. He tugged on the shirt with his free hand, pulling it off. He slipped the pajama top on him, and then helped Chord with his jeans and PJ pants. "Come play out here so you don't wake your brother up," Sam instructed. Chord's eyes darted around the room, seeking out the toy he wanted to play with for half an hour. He chose a pair of his favorite action figures and strolled casually into the living room.

Sam went into the kitchen, sneaking up behind Rory and slipping his arms around the younger man's waist. Rory didn't even startle-he was used to Sam sneaking up on him like that. He continued to do the dishes, talking with Blaine on his headset. Sam nuzzled his neck, kissing his cheek. "Hi, Blaine," he said into the small device.

"Hi Sam!" he heard the other man call back. Sam was about to say something else when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. Startled, he looked down to see Chord, a confused look on his face, his small fingers still latched onto Sam's shirt sleeve. He tugged again until Sam asked him what was arong.

"Daddy, I'm confused," Chord said, scrunching his face up.

"What are you confused about?" Sam replied, trying not to be too loud so as not to interrupt Rory and Blaine's conversation again.

"About..." Chord pointed down toward his lower half, indicating his private area. "Heather and Naya showed us theirs and they didn't have anything. I don't get it."

Sam's face turned red with embarrassment. He hadn't expected to have to address this subject so soon, but he knew it was coming at some point. He looked over at Rory and exchanged glances with him, mouthing, "Family talk."

"Hey, Blaine, I'll have to call you back. Sam said we need a family talk," Rory said into the phone. "Nah, I don't think it's bad. It didn't sound bad. Maybe Chord's trying to beg to stay up later again."

The two men bid each other goodbye and then Rory followed his husband and oldest son into the living room. "What's going on?" he asked, looking from husband to son and back.

"Chord has questions about uh... nature," Sam replied, unsure how he wanted to phrase his words.

Rory's face blushed as well, not having expected to address the topic at this point in time either. "Uhm, well... Sam, we did agree if they asked, we'd explain it."

"True. Well, you're good at this sort of thing, you explain it to him," Sam said with a guilty grin.

"Sam! Help me out here! This is gonna be awkward enough as it is," Rory complained. "There's something special in it for you if you do," he added in a whisper, winking at his husband. Sam's eyes lit up as he smiled wide.

"Have a seat with us, son," Sam said, patting the couch cushion. The little boy hopped up on the couch between his daddies, a blank look on his face.

"So... what brought this subject up?" Rory asked, unsure where exactly to start. He figured it would be best to find out the source first, and go from there.

Chord scratched his head and appeared deep in thought. "Naya and Heather showed me their special places, and they didn't have anything there, and I don't understand why."

That wasn't exactly the answer either father wanted to hear, but the damage was done. Sam made a mental note to call Santana and Brittany after their conversation to let them know that their daughters were discovering differences with the boys.

"Why did they do that, son? Were you playing a game?" Sam asked casually.

Chord looked over and him with nervous eyes. "Naya said that boys have something girls don't have, and she would show us if we showed her ours."

Sam smiled at the boy. "We're not mad at you, Chord. We just want to figure out what you know and what we need to fill you in on. You're not in trouble, right Rory?"

"Right. So Naya and Heather showed you their private area, and you showed them yours?" Rory asked for clarification. Chord nodded slowly, still skeptical about getting in trouble. "Okay, remember what we told you. That's your private place, and only your dad and I, Damian, or the doctor is allowed to see. Don't show it to anyone else, not even your friends, not even other grown ups. Understand that so far?"

"Yes, daddy. I'm sorry," Chord said, hanging his head. Rory placed his finger under the boy's chin and lifted up so they were eye to eye.

"It's okay, we're not mad. We just want you to be safe. Some people do bad things to little boys and girls and we want to protect you from that. So never ever let anyone see or touch you except for me and your dad, or the doctor. Damian might see, and that's okay too. He;s your brother."

"Okay daddy," the little boy replied with a serious look. "But how come Heather and Naya's look different? Did theirs break off?"

Sam coughed loudly to hide his laughter. He knew Rory would kick his butt all night long if the little boy thought he was being laughed at or made fun of.

"No, they didn't break off," Sam managed to say. "Little boys and little girls are different. Little boys have a wee wee, and little girls have a hoo hah."

This time it was Rory who had to cough. He hadn't heard Sam use those terms before. Chord still looked lost. "But why?" the child asked insistantly.

"That's how God made them. He made them that way so they can make babies and keep the world full of people," Rory answered. "Mommies and daddies do something special together, something you don't need to know about until you're much older. When they do that, the mommy gets a baby in her belly, and it grows and grows until it's ready to come out."

"Oh..." Chord said. He thought about it for several moments before a realization hit him. "But I don't have a mommy! I have two daddies! How does that work?"

"You wanna take that one, Sam?" Rory asked, seeing the smirk on Sam's face.

Sam coughed, stalling. "Uh, well, see it's different for two daddies. Two daddies have something else special they do, and they still make a baby, it just has to go into a mommy's belly, so they ask a special friend if they can put their baby in her belly to grow until it's ready to come out."

"Ohhhh," Chord said quietly. "Who's belly did I grow in?" His eyes went wide as he thought of the possibilities of all of his fathers' friends.

Sam was at a loss for words, but Rory covered quickly for him. "Well, there are some mommies out there who like to hold babies in their bellies for people like us who want a baby but can't hold our own. When the babies are ready, they come out and go to their daddies or other mommies. That's what they do every day, and because they don't want all the little boys abnd little girls to be sad, they don't tell anyone their names. They just want the little boys and girls to love their mommies and daddies."

Chord stared at his younger father, trying to process everything in his head. "So it's kind of like the microwave? You put the baby in and when it's done you take it out and it's ready to keep?"

Both men tried their hardest not to laugh at their son. The analogy was something Brittany would come up, but in a way, he was sort of right. Food goes in the microwave until it's ready, then it comes out, and nobody asks questions about who the microwave is. To Chord, it made perfect sense.

"I guess you can say that," Sam said with a grin. "But it's kind of like a flower. We give the mommy a seed, and she helps it grow and then when it's a flower, she gives it back, like a gift. Make sense?"

Chord nodded, all of the information swimming in his head. "What happens when it's two mommies? Is there a daddy that give people lots of seeds and then the mommies can grow it together?"

"Yes, exactly like that. The mommies go to a special doctor's office and get a seed and then they grow it together. They pick one of the mommies to keep it in her belly."

"Ohhh... okay," Chord said. "So daddy, you," he said, pointing to Sam, "You gave the mommy a seed and she grew me in her belly, and then she gave me back. Then you," he went on, this time pointing to Rory, "Gave a mommy a seed and she grew Damian and gave him back."

"Yes, but how did you know who gave the seeds to grow who?" Sam asked, admiring his son's perception.

"Because I look like you, and Damian looks like you!" he replied, pointing to each of his fathers. "I think that's neat. Can I tell Damian?"

"Not yet. He's still too little, but when we get ready to tell him, you can help him to understand it," Rory answered.

"Okay," Chord replied. "I hope the mommies who microwaved us know how much I want to thank them. It was really nice what they did, and I love you both." He crawled up onto Rory's lap first, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then crawled over to Sam and repeated the gesture. "I'm kinda tired now. That was a lot of stuff to understand. Will you tuck me in?"

Sam and Rory followed their son into his bedroom, his brother having not so much as stirred in bed. Chord crawled into his bed, Sam pulling the covers up over him. "Sweet dreams," the man said, kissing his son on the forehead.

"Good night, sleep tight," Rory told him, also kissing him on the forehead.

The two men left the room, closing the door behind them. "Glad that's over," Sam said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "You think we handled that good enough?"

Rory leaned over and kissed his husband gently on the lips. "Yeah, I think we did fine. My God, did you hear him? He thinks we microwaved him."

"I think it's the cutest thing I ever heard," Sam replied with a grin.

"Me too, because that's something you would come up with," Rory replied, taking a quick dash into the living room. Sam gave chase, tackling his husband in a tight hug from behind.

"Very funny. Now which one of us is gonna called the girls and tell them?" Sam asked, kissing Rory on the cheek.

Rory answered by pulling out of Sam's arms, picking up the headset, and handing it to the older man. "This is all you, Sam."

"Gee, thanks," Sam teased, taking the headset.

"I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom when you're done. Don't take too long or I might just fall asleep," Rory said with a very devilish smile. Sam's eyes widened at the promise of a reward, already dialing their friends. He smacked Rory on the rear as the younger man walked out of the room to prepare for 'bedtime'.

"Hey Santana. You are not going to believe what Chord asked us tonight. I have a feeling you might have some questions from Naya and Heather..."


End file.
